Incubator



No. 6|9,095. Patented Feb. 7 I899.

n. m. a w. B. SHEER.

INCUBATOR.

(Application filed July 12, 1897.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

"mm "M IV I 1 THE "cams vzrzns cm. mo'wumo., WASHINGTON. n. c.

Patented Feb. 7,

H. M. & W. B. SHEER.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INCUBATDR.

(Application filed J'ply 12, 1597.)

(No Model.)

lll'lIlll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. SHEER AND WVALTER B. SHEER, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

INCUBATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,095, dated February 7, 1899.

Application filed July 12, 1897. Serial No. 644,306. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY M. SHEER and WALTER B. SHEER, citizens of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Incubators; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to automatic temperature-regulators, and more particularly to those regulators adapted for use in connection with incubators which embody a fluid thermo-column and a damper-actuating float operated thereby.

One object of the present invention is the provision of improved means whereby the position of the thermo-column relatively to the float can be changed as desired, so that the device may be set to operate at any desired temperature.

A further object is to dispose and protect the parts in a novel manner to prevent their operation from being disturbed by outside atmospheric changes. 7

Still another object is to provide a temperature-regulator which will be extremely sensitive and responsive to great or small variations in temperature.

Having the foregoing objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts more fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of an incubator having our improvement-s applied thereto, a portion of the exterior casing being broken away to disclose the parts within; Fig. 2, a cross-section principally illustrative of the thermo-column and float, and Fig. 3 the major portion of the regulator in side elevation.

The reference-letter a designates the exterior casing of the incubator, and b the lamp which supplies the heat and communicates in the usual way with the interior of the incubator. The construction and arrangement of parts being the same as commonly practiced, no special illustration or description is deemed necessary.

The letter Z) designates the flue by which the products of combustion escape to the atmosphere. This flue is covered by a damper c, by whose adjustment the amount of heat allowed to pass into the incubator is determined. With this damper wide open no heat passes into the incubator, but escapes through the flue b. This damper c is suspended from one end of a horizontally-disposed lever d, which is pivoted intermediate of its ends in the following manner: A T-shaped piece 6 is fastened on the lever and has a knife-edge 6' extending transversely of the latter and fulcrumed in notches f formed in the upper ends of a pair of arms f, rising from a baseplate f which is fastened in the top of a casing 9 at one side of the incubator. The arm of the lever cl extending outwardly from the fulcrum-piece e carries a ball-shaped counterbalancing-weight d which tends to open wide the damper c and allow the heat to escape to the atmosphere. The thermo device by which such tendency of the apparatus is counteracted or allowed to prevail, according to the condition of the temperature in the incubator, will now be described.

Within the incubator at a suitable location there extends horizontally a glass tube or bulb h, which has a downturned arm h, occupying a slot in the casing and formed with a mouth at the lower end, receiving a stopper If. This stopper carries a small tube 1', to the projecting end of which is applied one end of a length of flexible tubing j, of heavy rubber hose, which is curved downwardly and thence upwardly, the opposite end being applied to the reduced lower end of the cylinder k and the latter being fast on a board k, which is adjustably arranged in the casing g. A set-screw k entered through the side of said casing, serves to hold the said board in any position to which it may be brought, the said screw bearing against the edge of the board and pressing the same against the wall of the casing. By adjusting the block la the device can be set to operate at any given temperature, and because the parts are fixed or stationary after proper adjustment the flexible tubingj can be made heavy, thereby heat will pass into the incubator.

v by a sliding door 9 minimizing the liability of its Wearing out or cracking and obviating the necessity of its frequent renewal. The casing g is preferably filled with some mineral fiber and closed sulator and prevents the operation of the regulator from being disturbed by outside atmospheric conditions.

The glass tube or bulb h is charged with alcohol,which fills its horizontal portion,while its vertical portion and the flexible tubing are filled with mercury, which also extends up into the cylinder 10. A cone-shaped float m fits easily in the cylinder and has a stem m, which extends upwardly through a hole in the fulcrum-piece e of the lever 01 on the side of the fulcrum opposite the weight d the stem being screw-threaded and having a bearing-piece with a rounded under side engaging the lever and a milled head '12, for turning it to adjust it in the threaded portion of the stem. The combined weight of the float, its stem, and bearing-piece is sufficient to overcome the counterbalance d and hold the'damper c normally closed, so that all the .In operation the rising of the temperature in the incubator causes the alcohol in the glass bulb'to expand and the column of mercury to correspondingly rise. By the adjustment of the cylinder-support k and regula- 'tion of the amount of mercury in the tubes the exact degree of heat at which the damper will be operated can be determined. When the degree of heat is reached in the incubator which should always prevail, the .mercury has risen to the plane of the lower side of the float m. Should the temperature rise above this, the consequent rise of mercury will cause the float to be lifted, and hence the weight 1 will act to-lift the damper c and allow a portion of the heat to escape into the atmosphere. A fall in the temperature in the incubator produces an opposite effect, and thus it will be seen that the temperature in the incubator is kept practically uniform.

The fioat'is preferably made of hard wood, and its conical form is advantageous in re-' ducing the bearing-surface between it and the walls of the cylinder and also in preventing any mercury from lodging above-it, for if by any cause the mercury should get above the float the sloping walls of the latter would cause it to drain back again. It will be noticed that the cylinder is has a flaring The fiber acts as an innot be forced past the float. The tilting movement of the lever is limited by a stop projection 0 in the stand f The rounded form of the head a on the float-stem reduces the extent of bearing of said head on the lever to the minimum and allows a'slight rocking to compensate for the tilting of the lever and prevent the binding of the float in its cylinder. It will be seen that an arrangement such as that above described is well calculated to effect the object principally stated.

Having thus describedour invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a temperature regulator, the combi- I nation with a movable member and means for securing the same, of acylinder connected to and movable with the member, a thermo-bulb, an adjustable pipe connection between the thermo-bulb and cylinder which allows movement of the member aforesaid, a fluid in the bulb, pipe connection and cylinder, and a damper-operating float in the cylinder.

2. In a temperature-regulator, the combination with a movable member, of means for holding said member stationary after adj ustment, a cylinder connected to and movable with the adjustable member, a thermo tube orbulb, afiexible tube connecting the thermotube with the cylinder, a damper-operating float in the cylinder, and a fluid in the cylinder and the tubes.

3. In a stationary regulator, the combina tion with a casing, of a block slidable therein, a clamping-screw for securing the block at any point in the casing, a cylinder connected to and movable with the block, a thermo-bulb, a flexible tube connecting the bulb with the cylinder, a damper-operating float movable in the cylinder, and a fluid in the cylinder and the tubes.

4:. In a temperature-regulator, the combination with. a casing, of a member movable therein, means for holding the member at any point in the casing, a cylinder connected to the movable member, a thermo-bulb, an adjustable pipe connection between the'cylinder and bulb, which pipe connection is located in the casing, a damper-operating float, in the cylinder, a fluid in the cylinder and tubes, and a packing in the casing which surrounds the parts located therein and prevents their being aifected by atmospheric conditions.

In witness whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

IIO 

